5 amazing jobs that will take you abroad

Don’t you just love to pack your bags and explore a new place? What if you were paid to do so? Don’t worry; this isn’t an online scam, as some professions actually come with special perks – such as a suitcase, a departure ticket and the permission to explore other places professionally.

Whether you work for a fashion house or a media company, being a buyer at a multinational company will enable you to travel overseas in order to discover upcoming trends, source new products and materials, interact with vendors and build connections across industries.

Besides analysing and negotiating deals, the job of a professional buyer (which is sometimes called a purchasing agent) involves the exploration of other cultures and places, as it’s their job to determine what products end up on shelves, in online stores or in catalogues.

Travel Photographer: Capture the spirit

You don’t need to be a wildlife expert at National Geographic to become a travel photographer. If you’re serious about getting behind the lens of a camera, travel photography could be a viable career option for you, taking you on exploratory trips.

A travel photographer doesn’t just explore the depth of the jungle for prestigious travel magazines, but is also sent to cover cultural events for newspapers, to do location research for companies and to conduct interviews for trade publications and government organisation. As exciting the work as a travel photographer may sound, note that you do need to be able to work independently most of the time.

Foreign Service Officer: Act diplomatically

Before embarking on a journey as a government employee, you need to clear a few initial hurdles, such as entrance examinations or fitness tests. No matter your specialisation and the track you choose, you’ll be able explore and interact with different cultures in an official manner.

You may not always be assigned to the country of your choice, but if spending lengthy periods in an unfamiliar setting sound like your cup of tea, a career in foreign services will reward you with job stability and excellent economic prospects.

Event Manager: Putting on a show

Event managers are usually responsible for being at the helm of international art festivals, gala events, concerts and music festivals. Organising events of such enormous scale is no mean feat and involves large amounts of multitasking and problem-solving skills.

But if you like the life on the road, a job as event manager will certainly take you flying to other countries, be it to find locations, liaise with local promoters or visit artists. In addition to the travelling, you’ll also get the inside scoop into local working conditions.

Management Trainee: Rotating abroad

If you’re attached to a company that operates globally or has offices across the region, it’s possible that your company’s internal rotation may not only include several different departments, but also occurs in various countries, giving you a holistic overview of operations.

Besides finding out about your strength and weaknesses, this career path also lets you explore a country in a way that goes beyond the normal holiday. Once you embark on a management trainee programme, you’ll have the chance to live and work in another country over a longer period of time.